October 2008 Aura Wellness Center Announcements Newsletter

Yoga In Practice: Three Yogic Tips for Time Management

By Dr. Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500

Could Yoga be practiced in a way that allows you to make optimum use of time? Do you know somebody who is constantly late, stressed out, and unorganized? Usually, we hear about time management in a corporate setting, but Yoga can apply organized Yogic principles to your daily life. After all, Yoga has helped you to reduce clutter in your mind.

The perception of a “poor time manager” is someone who cannot fit one more responsibility onto his or her “plate.” If we are always late, it is seen as a sign of disrespect to those who are waiting for us. If we show no respect to those who are counting on us, we will be challenged to earn their respect.

Mutual respect is one of the most precious qualities of a healthy relationship. Without this quality, relationships wither and become strained. This principle applies to every relationship you have, whether it be a family member, friend, co-worker, or an acquaintance.

1. Keep your promises. Never make a promise you cannot fulfill. You will ruin your reputation by taking on projects that you cannot finish. There is a line within the Srimad Bhagavatam, which can be translated as: “If I fail to keep this promise, I will enter fire to atone for my sin.”

There is no need to jump into fire, but you could learn to say “No,” instead of making insincere promises. A missed appointment, deadline, and promise, has a way of building a poor reputation, which none of us wants.

2. Do the tasks that you prefer to put off, first. The rest of your day is like “running downhill” afterward. Within the Bhagavadg?t?, there is a translation to English which reads: “They procrastinate; anything which can be done in an hour they drag on for years. Such workers are situated in the mode of ignorance.”

For centuries, procrastination has been a quality of laziness. A strong case could be made that procrastination is a gateway to laziness. One lesson of life is clear: Nothing can remove opportunities for success better than procrastination.

3. Plan your day, prioritize, and be fearless about it. Fear seems to hold us back from planning for the future. Many of us live in fear of what tomorrow may bring. It is said that Swami Vivekananda translated the Sanskrit word “Abhih” to mean “be fearless.” Envision tomorrow with the vision of a good day.

Do not let unjustified fears hold you and your family back. You deserve to succeed in life. Yoga teaches us to live a balanced life. Unjustified fear is guaranteed to affect your balance.

Night Shifts Blues… Try Yoga

By Dr. Rita Khanna

SarvangasanaThese days several professionals have a very demanding routine in terms of night shifts. This routine calls for a complete changeover in the biological clock as people working in the nights have to sleep during the daytime. It is difficult to cope with odd working hours as these affect sleep patterns & eating habits. Individuals start behaving aggressively, become intolerant & end up suffering from several health disorders like spondilytis, chronic headache, hypertension, insomnia, obesity, constipation, backache, gastric problems, diabetes, infertility, emotional disturbances, depression, fatigue, frigidity and impotence.

Reason

Our endocrine system is made up of glands that secrete hormones into the bloodstream. Hormones are chemical messengers that regulate body processes. The endocrine system works with the nervous system and the immune system to help the body cope with different events and stresses. The body secretes certain hormones like adrenaline, which it requires, to cope with stressful situations. These hormones are secreted more during the daytime and less during nights, and this is the main reason for night shifts taking a toll on a person’s physical and mental well-being. The secretion of an endocrine hormone called melatonin (commonly called “hormone of darkness”) by the pineal gland, which is very vital for the agility and alertness of mind and body, is hampered when one works at night, as darkness is essential for the optimum production of this hormone. The secretion of melatonin is at its highest in the middle of the night and then gradually lessens during the second half of the night. Unfortunately, a night shifter is up during these hours and this leads to further hormonal disturbances.

Yoga

Yoga as a therapeutic system can help in relieving these problems. It will help balance the endocrine system, tone the abdominal organs, stimulate both the nervous and circulatory systems and reduces stress. Excess cortisol, a stress hormone has been linked to an increase in abdominal fat. Regular practice of Yoga, for minimum 30 to 45 minutes daily during work, helps not only in attaining physical fitness but also in preventing occurrence of many such ailments.

The most common disorders night shifters suffer are Insomnia, Obesity & Constipation.

Insomnia

Insomnia is one of the most common complaints. Getting complete quota of sleep during the day is difficult because the general noise and distraction level is high. Moreover day sleep is not deep and sound. People, who suffer from sleep disorders, really understand the true importance of sleep. They feel tired, exhausted and fatigued when they wake up. It can affect their energy level, mood, health, immune system, job & family. A yoga technique that can be of very great use is the technique of Yoga Nidra or psychic sleep. When practiced correctly, this method produces deep relaxation. In fact, a single hour of Yoga Nidra is equivalent to many hours of normal sleep & much more rejuvenating. This technique can be learned from a yoga teacher or even from a book or an audio video aid.

Obesity

A constant lack of sleep, improper diet, excesses or deficits of hormones can lead to obesity. These two hormones are: leptin and ghrelin. Leptin is a hormone that suppresses appetite and it is released by your fat cells. Ghrelin is a hormone that increases appetite and it is released by stomach. Those who sleep less, have lower leptin levels and higher ghrelin levels. This low leptin – high ghrelin combination boosts your hunger & burns fewer calories. The result is that you gain weight without eating any additional food. So, sleep is not only necessary for your brain, it also affects your entire body functions. A yoga technique that can be of very great use is the technique of Dhanurasana. Details of this Asana have already been described in my earlier articles.

Constipation

Although this is a universal problem, it is more common among shift workers. After midnight, the automatic regulation of metabolic processes has an effect of slowing down the heart rate and the blood circulation. In a person on night-shift, as he sits upright, the blood accumulates around the pelvis, lower abdomen and legs. This causes the blood vessels around the colon to dilate, thereby constricting the passage and resulting in constipation. Prolonged effect of this condition can result in piles. The yoga solution for this problem is a position called Sarvangasana (an inverted position).

Sarvangasana

Spread a mat on the floor. Lie down on the back. Keep the arms closer to the body with palms facing downwards. Bring the feet together. Keep the whole body straight. Breathe normally. To begin with inhale, raise your legs up to 90 degree angle with the floor. While exhaling, push the legs backward over the head. Support the waist with both the hands high up just behind the ribcage. Inhale & get the legs & waist back into the air in vertical position. Stretch the toes upward & press your chin into the chest. Close the eyes. Stay in this position according to your body capacity with normal breathing. For coming back inhale & lower the legs back towards the head. Gently lower down your hips back & drop your arms down on the ground. Exhale, come back to the ground to the normal position without any jerk. Relax in Shvasana until the breath & heartbeat return to normal. Do this twice daily, morning & evening.

Benefits

This position helps the accumulated blood in the lower abdomen and legs to move towards the lungs. This helps in the oxygenation of impure blood and the normalization of the colon.

Note

If you are feeling uncomfortable while doing Yoga Asanas by yourselves or suffering from some ailments, consult a yoga expert.

If you feel inspired by this article, feel free to publish it in your Newsletter or on your Website. Our humble request is to please include the Resource as follows: Courtesy: Dr. Rita Khanna’s Yogashaastra Studio. A popular studio that helps you find natural solutions for complete health and detoxification.

Dr. Rita Khanna is a well-known name in the field of Yoga and Naturopathy. She was initiated into his discipline over two decades ago by world famous Swami Adyatmananda of Sivananda Ashram in Rishikesh.

She believes firmly that Yoga is a scientific process, which helps us to lead a healthy and disease-free life. She is also actively involved in practicing alternative medicines like Naturopathy. Over the years, she has been successfully practicing these therapies and providing succour to several chronic and terminally ill patients.

At present, Dr. Rita Khanna is teaching Yoga in Secunderabad. She has been treating and curing various diseases and disorders through Yoga, Diet and Naturopathy and has been achieving tremendous satisfaction in disseminating this virtue.

Due to the repeated success of our Yoga teacher training graduates, Aura Wellness Center has developed a Yoga certification program, which teaches you everything you need to know about how to safely instruct classes, constantly improve your skills, and run a successful teaching practice.